Collapsible filing drawer



July 2, 1940. H. l.. FELLowES 2,206,084

COLLAPS IBLE FILING DRAWER Filed Nov. 18, 1938 s sheds-sheet s 75 fij K J .J

IIIIII Patented July 2, 1940 5, f

c'oLLAPsiBLE Y FILING DRAWER.

vI-Iarry L. Fellowes, Chicago, Ill., assigner to- Bankers Box Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation` of Illinois i Application November 18, 1938', Serial No. 241,156

8` Claims.

My invention relates to a collapsible liling drawer of compositev construction, i. e., paper board and metal, a drawer which is especially ladapted for, but not limited to, use in a col- ;5 v4lapsible nling cabinet of the kind disclosed and claimed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,121,196, dated June 21, 1938.

`A general object of my invention is to provide such a drawer which readily and easily 'may be :converted from its collapsed or. knocked down condition to its erected' or useable condition.

Ano-ther object of my invention is to provide such a drawer which has paper board side and end walls detachably butrigidly connected by 157`quickly and easily insertible corner posts which are disposed interiorly of the angles between side and end walls of the drawer to interlock in novel and effective manner with cooperating lips carried by metallic bindings for the'vertical margins 20""of the connected walls.

Another object of my` invention is topro-vide such a drawer whichis characterized in that certain of its walls, preferably all of its side and end walls, are formed ,ofv paper board and have 7 their upper and Vertical edges embraced and reinforced by a novel metallic kbinding element, which is so constructed that it quickly and easily may be applied to the edges of the paper board Yside and end walls of the drawer without perforating or otherwise weakening the paper board in the regions where it is engaged and squeezed by the gripping elements of the metallic binding.

A further object of my invention is to provide a very strong, attractive and generally improved "collapsible ling drawer formed from a single piece of paper board having side and .end wall sections which are metal reinforced and connected by novel and easily applied wall edge binding ,elements cooperating with novel and easily applied locking posts disposed interiorly of the anglesbetween vertical margins of contiguous side andend walls of the drawer.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the collapsible iiling drawer of the present invention will hereinafter appear from the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying three sheets of drawings, in which y Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a le drawer embodying the improvements of the present invention; y

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view, in isometric perspective, representative of any fone of the corners of any of the `wall edge binders;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pap-er board blank used in the construction of the file drawer;

Fig. 4 is a plan View illustrating the drawer as it appears when fabricated to the knocked down or partly completed condition in which it E is or may be customarily sold and shipped;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustratingone of the wall edge bindersjas it appears while ybeingA applied to an edgefof a paper board drawer wall;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating the binder after it has been applied to the drawer wall edge;r

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary ,horizontal` sectional View which may be regarded as taken in theplane of the line l-'I of Fig. 1 and looking inl the direction indicated vby the arrows; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of one of thecorner posts vwherewith the end and side walls of my improved file drawer are held in properlyerected relationship.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The drawer of the present invention preferably comprises a single initially flat lsheet` I0 of paper board (see Fig. 3) scored and cut to provide a vrectangular bottoni section II, sidewall sections I2, and end wall sections E3 and It; each of said end wall sections having a pair of iiaps vwhich are appropriately indicated at IS-,a and I 4-a.

-The section I3, which is to formk the outer ply of a two ply'rear end wall, is provided with a horizontal slot I5 arranged to register withv notches IS of the flaps lf3-'a when the latter are folded against end wall section I3, aslshown in.

y Figs. 4 and 7. The purpose of slot I5 vand notches I6 is to afford a convenient handhold which may be grasped when the drawer, being removed from the customary ling cabinetcase, (not'shown) is being carried from place to place, A gummed paper or cloth strip YI'I is preferably adhesively applied to `bottom section II'andI the contiguous margins of aps I3-a as shown in Fig. 4.

The section I4, which is to form the outer ply of a two ply frontend wall, has its flaps Ill-o1l held in proper position to constitute the inner ply of said front end Wall by ber strap VI8 which receives the inner ends of bolts I9, which in turn cooperate with thumb nuts 20 properly' to secure a'conventional handle 2| `on theY outersurfaceof end section I3 (see Fig. 1).

The construction of those' parts of the drawer which I have thus far describedmay be varied within wide limits. I shall now describe those,

features of the drawer with which the present invention is particularly concerned.

Each of the paper board side walls and end walls of the drawer has three of its edges (i. e., the edges which become the upper and vertical edges of the wall in the erected drawer) provided with a binding 22 in the form of an integral strip of metal which will retain the cross sectional shape depicted in Fig. 6 when pressed or otherwise forced to such shape from the cross sectional shape depicted in Fig. 5.

Binding strip 22, being somewhat U-shaped or channel shaped in cross section, comprises the side wall portions 23 and 24 connected by the web portion 25. The free edge of the wall portion 23 is provided with a lip or fiange 26 which constitutes one of the cooperating gripping elements of the binding. The others of such gripping elements are the spaced apart parallel beads 21 and 28, and the concavo-convex portion29, of wall 24. Such concavo-convex portion lies between the beads 21 and 28 and presents its concave face toward the lip or flange 2S of the other wall 23. l

The free edge of binding strip wall 24 is in the form of an offset lip 30 connected with bead 28 by a shoulder 3l. In the erected drawer the portions of the lip 30 and shoulder 3l which appear on the horizontal reaches of the binding strips are superuous, but those portions of such lip and shoulder which appear on the vertical reaches of the strips are very important, because they cooperate with the vertical locking corner posts presently to be described.

Before the application of any of the binding strips 22 to the edges of its appropriate drawer wall, its side walls 23 and 24 are suitably notched so that they may appear to be mitered, as at 32, where the binding passes around an upper corner of the drawer wall (see Fig. 2). Moreover, the horizontally extending portions of the lips 30 and shoulders 3l are cut away for a short distance from each corner, as most clearly illustrated at 33 in Fig. 2, to permit the application and removal of the locking corner posts presents to be described.

The locking strips 22 appear as shown in Fig. 5 while being applied to their appropriate drawer wall edges. When their application has been completed they appear as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be noted that the paper board Wall portion which is embraced by each binding strip 22 has one of its faces (the inner face) indented along two parallel lines by the beads 21 and 28, and has its other (outer) face indented by lip 26 of binder wall portion 23 to cause a shift (by deformation but not perforation) of paper board material into the concave face of the concavoconvex portion 29 of binder wall 24. Thus each binding strip tightly and permanently engages its embraced paper board drawer wall without perforating or appreciably weakening the latter.

The binding strips 22 which are applied to the two ply end walls of the drawer have somewhat wider web portions than do the binding strips which are applied to the one ply side walls of the drawer.

I shall now describe the vertical locking posts, shown at 34, of which each drawer comprises four (see Figs. 1, '7, and 8).

Each of the posts 34 is formed from relatively stiff sheet metal and is generally L-shaped in cross section, one of the sides 35 of the L being wider than the other side 36, but each side being f provided with a shoulder 31 and a hook flange 38,

having its free edge lying closely adjacent to but spaced from shoulder 31. The hook flange 38 in each instance is adapted more or less snugly and slidably to receive a binding strip flange 30 and the space between each shoulder 31 and the free edge of its associated hook flange 38 is just sufficient to pass a binding strip shoulder 3|.

The drawer is or may be shipped to the customer in the form shown in Fig. 4 (with the handle 2l either attached or unattached) and accompanied by four of the locking corner posts 34.

When the drawer is to be erected for use in a ling cabinet its side and end walls are moved to the positions depicted in Fig. 1 and one of the corner posts 34 is vertically positioned interiorly of each of the angles formed by the side and end walls of the drawer-in locking engagement with the vertical reaches of the edge bindings of the walls which form such angles.

In applying each corner post 34 it is extended through a space 33 at a corner of one of the end wall bindings. The hook flange 38 of its narrower side 36 is then engaged around the upper end of the vertical reach of the proximate fiange 30 of such end wall binding. The post is then forced downwardly until the hook flange 38 of its wider side 35 passes through the space 33 of the adi jacent side Wall binding to engage around the vertical reach of the proximate flange 30 of such side wall binding. The post is then pressed downwardly (as by forcing a thumb against a coin lying against the upper end of the post) to the position depicted in Fig. 1.

With each post thus properly positioned and cooperating with the metallic bindings of its associated side and end walls, the latter are held effectively but detachably in proper erected relation to each other by strong and rigid corner structures which serve to prevent any objectionable or observable relative movements between the proximate edges of the end and side walls connected by such corner posts.

Having thus illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A collapsible filing drawer or like collapsible receptacle comprising a bottom section and side wall and end wall sections of non-metallic material hingedly connected with appropriate edges of the bottom section, such wall sections being adapted to be moved to vertical positions wherein they define four vertical receptacle corners each defined by a vertical edge of one wall section being presented to the inner face of a contiguous wall section at a vertical edge of the latter, a metallic binding of generally U-shaped cross section embracing and secured upon each vertical edge of each wall section, the inner side wall of each such metallic binding being provided with an offset lip remote from and extend ing away from the vertical corner with which such binding is associated, and a locking corner post of metal disposed vertically and interiorly of each of such vertical corners, each of such corner posts being generally L-shaped in cross section and having each of its sides turned upon itself to provide a hook fiange adapted slidably to engage one of the aforesaid binding lips.

2. A collapsible ling drawer or like collapsible receptacle comprising a bottom section and side wall and end wall sections of non-metallic material hingedly connected with appropriate edges of the bottom section, such wall sections -being adapted to be moved to vertical positions.

the lip with the binding side wall of which it forms a part, each such lip extending away from one of said vertical corners, and a locking corner post of metal disposed vertically and interiorly of each of such vertical corners, each of said corner posts being generally L-shaped in cross' section and having each of its sides conformed to provide both a hook ilange adapted slidably to embrace an adjacent metallic binding lip and a shoulder adapted to abut the binding shoulder associated with such lip.

3. In a collapsible filing drawer or the like a vertical corner formed byone vertical edge of one non-metallic wall section being presented to the inner surface of another non-metallic wall section adjacent a vertical edge of the latter, a metallic binder of generally U-shaped cross section embracing and secured upon each of such vertical edges, the inner side wall of each U- shaped binder being provided with an offset lip positioned remote from the corner and which extends away from the said corner, and a locking post of metal disposed vertically and interiorly of such corner, such post being of generally L- shaped cross section and having each of its sides turned upon itself to define a hook flange adapted slidably to engage one of said binding lips, one of said hook anges being oifset laterally to provide a shoulder, whereby one of said oifset lips is wedged between the hook flange and said shoulder to assist in preventing either inward or outward movement of said walls relative to each other.

4. In a collapsible filing drawer or the like a vertical corner formed by one vertical edge of one non-metallic wall section being presented to the inner surface of another non-metallic wall section adjacent a vertical edge of the latter, a metallic binder of generally U-shaped cross section embracing and secured upon each of such vertical edges, the inner side wall of each U- shaped binder being provided with an oiset lip which extends away from the said corner, the binder of the wall section which presents its inner face to the edge of Vthe other wall section being provided with an abutment shoulder adjacent itsy offset lip, and a locking post of metal disposed vertically and interiorly of such corner, such post being of generally L-shaped cross section and' having each of its sides turned upon itself to provide a hook flange adapted slidably to engage one of said binding lips, one of the sides of the post als-o being conformed to provide an abutment shoulder adapted slidably to engage the rst mentioned abutment shoulder.

5. In a collapsible drawer or the like a vertical corner formed by one vertical edge of one wall section being presented to the inner surface of another wall section. adjacent a vertical edge of the latter, each such wall section being provided with a metallic lip which is spaced from and extends away from such vertical corner in a plane substantially parallel with the wall section by which it is carried, the wall section which presents its inner face to the vertical edge of the other being also provided adjacent its lip with an abutment shoulder, and a locking post of metal disposed vertically and interiorly of such corner, such post being of generally L-shaped cross section and having each of its sides conformed to define a hook flange adapted slidably to engage one of said lips, oneof the sides of the post also .presenting an abutment shoulder adapted slidably to engage the firs-t mentioned abutment shoulder. 6. In a collapsible ling drawer or the like a wall of paper board or similar non-metallic material having an edge thereof embraced by a'` metallic binder, such binder consisting of a strip of metal conformed to be generally U-shaped in cross section, one of vthe sides of the binder being provided at its free edge with a wall indenting lip, the other side of the binder being provided at an intermediate por-tion with a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending wall indenting beads which project toward the rst mentioned side of the binder, said beads lying on opposite sides of a plane, transverse of the wall,

which includes said indenting lip, and the free edge of said binder beyond said beadsv extending outwardly from said wall and shaped to provide a hook flange.

'7. In a collapsible filing drawer or the like a wall of paper board or similar vnon-metallic material having an edge thereof embraced by a metallic binder, such binder consisting of a strip of metal conformed to be generally U-shaped in cross section, one of the sides of the binder being provided with a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending wall indenting beads which project toward the other side of the binder, the metal which lies between such beads being of concavoconvex cross section and presenting its concave face to the other binder side, the major portion of the convex face of said concavo-convex section lying below the surface of the adjacent portion of said binder, such other binder side being provided at its free edge with a wall indenting lip adapted to cause a deflection of wall material against and into said concave face when the edge portion of the wall is embraced by the binder and squeezed between the sides of the latter.

8. A blank for use in fabricating a collapsible drawer or the like comprising a paper board' member-scored to provide a bottom portion and side walls and `end walls secured thereto along the score lines, generally U-shaped metallic binders extending around and enclosing substantially the entire perimeter of the blank to provide smooth reinforced vertical and' horizontal edges for each of the side and end walls when thes'e walls are folded upwardly to form a drawer, each U-shaped member having at its free inside edge an offset lip running fromend to end and extending toward the center of the wall upon which it is mounted, said offset lips adapted to cooperate with a locking strip to hold said drawer in erected position, and ar portion of said offset lips being removed from the ends of thev portion of the U- shaped member embracing the horizontal edges of the walls.

HARRY L. FELLOWES. 

